Reed's Rival
by CH3M1ST
Summary: Based on an annecdote from a story by angel-death-dealer. It is set during Reed, Sue, Ben and Victor's MIT days.


**This is dedicated to angel-death-dealer, as it is based off Sue's annecdote from 'Female Intuition'**

**disclaimer:I don't and never will own fantastic four.**

Reed, once again, woke early. He sighed, and picked up his book on the floor. He had just gotten his head around string theory, and was starting to attempt loop-quantum-gravity. He braved turning his light on. He didn't want to wake his roommate Ben, but Ben had been partying all night and was most likely too hung over to be woken by his lamp. Reed was a fan of homeostasis. The "long stupid word," as Ben so eloquently put it, described a systems ability to regulate its environment. Or, as Ben also put it, "No change". However Reed wished he would change and not wake up so early. He could never get back to sleep and often was forced to lay there for hours, in complete boredom.

Eventually, once Ben had woken up, Reed permitted himself to leave his bed. He got up and dressed simply, in jeans and a t-shirt. After Ben had done the same, they headed out. It was a nice day and Ben had dragged him outside. Reed had never enjoyed exercise and it was a battle to get him to walk to the corner shop. As Reed put it "I would rather be balancing equations than milk and bread."

When they reached the outside of their MIT campus, Reed groaned. 'Of all people, why him?' Strolling nonchalantly towards them was Victor Von Doom.

"Hello, Reed," he sneered.

"Hello Victor." Reed struggled to respond without punching him. This would have been unlike Reed, as he was always on the receiving end of violence, not the giving end. Reed always liked to resolve things with words (which sometimes made it worse.). Except with him. Reed was always used to being the smartest person he knew, except him. Victor had always been slightly better than Reed. Which aggravated him. This wasn't helped by Victor's taunting. Reed would never be quite equal with Victor, and Victor knew it. This expanded Von Dooms, already good-like, ego. However, there was one thing that Victor didn't like. One thing that Reed had always been better at.

Sue Storm.

Reed had loved Sue Storm, since he first layer eyes on her. Victor had loved Sue Storm, since he realised Reed liked her. Sue Storm had loved Reed since he had had the immense courage to ask her out. She had thought he had been a loveable, scrawny, little nerd fidgeting nervously at the time. They had been friends for years, but only Reed had realised his true feelings. He still didn't quite know what she saw in him, but what he did know was that he was very glad she did.

"Is there something you want Victor?" Reed said with malice.

"Not from you, I was just wondering if you had seen Sue recently, and keep in mind, I do not want a description of your carnal activities."

"Actually, she's over there." Reed replied, gesturing over to were she was, in a group of her friends.

"I would say thank you, but you didn't do me any meaningful service."

"I'm sure the general feelings are mutual, Victor." Reed retorted, turning away. At this moment, Sue called out to him, "Reed, Reed," he turned around to face her," Can I borrow your notes from physics, I was ill during the lesson."

"Sure you can Sue." Reed graciously replied, pulling her in to kiss her. Sue didn't really understand this sudden outburst of affection, as it wasn't something that Reed was prone to. However she didn't complain. As they broke apart, Reed grinned at Victor. They both knew that Victor was extremely annoyed, and that Reed was loving it. Victor turned in a huff and stalked away, muttering to himself.

"What was that?" Reed asked innocently.

"Oh nothing, about you." He suddenly retorted, looking at Sue, and muttering again. This time, Reed hear him...and punched him.

"Don't ever call he a whore again!" Reed yelled, then cried out in pain as Victor shoved him to the ground and started kicking him. At this point, Ben stepped in between them looking daunting.

"That was childish Reed," Sue half yelled at him.

"But-" he started to say, but Sue silenced him with a glare, helping him up. Reed and Victor backed up, away from each other, not breaking eye contact. After two minutes of giving each other death stares, they turned around and parted.

A few minutes later, Reed devised the perfect revenge plot.

When Ben asked Reed what he was doing, Reed simply replied "Just tinkering with some new shampoo formulas."

The next day, Victor wandered around the school campus, his head hung with shame and anger. His precious black locks had been replaced with an old man's greys, with some of them falling out. He spent the day walking around screaming "DAMN YOU RICHARD'S!"


End file.
